Microsoft is Still Working on Preloading for Xbox One

With the passing of each month, we’re watching the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 grow before our eyes, morphing and mutating with each new update. While both systems felt, in their own ways, unfinished at launch, it’s hard to argue with the monthly updates each system is receiving.

On Microsoft’s side, it’s not rare to see Larry Hryb, Director of Programming, on Reddit’s Xbox One subreddit, responding to fan questions about planned and potential new features. With preloading having just appeared on PlayStation 4, a call went up for feature parity on Microsoft’s system.

In response, Hryb said “All I can say right now is that, yes, we want this feature as well.”

It’s not much to go on, but it lets us know that Microsoft is listening. With the fall rush of games coming in just four months, the feature is going to be in higher and higher demand. In February, Microsoft mistakenly posted a page saying that Titanfall would be available for preloading, suggesting that the feature might’ve been planned for one of the winter updates.

Preloading is nothing new for PC gamers, but console gamers are seeing it for the first time with Sony’s update. It’s been a tough feature to get going because console manufacturers have a dependent relationship with retailers that PCs don’t. Retailers aren’t too keen on selling a low-margin product like a game console if customers are just going to go home and buy the games direct from the manufacturer.

With Sony now offering the feature, however, pressure will mount quickly for Microsoft to bring in similar functionality. They may even have it ready to go but are waiting on red tape before they can implement it.